MSB Technology DAC IV plus User manual

Brand: MSB Technology

Model: DAC IV plus

Category: Musical Equipment

Type: User manual

This manual is also suitable for

Platinum Studio ADC

DAC IV

plus

Users Manual

Rev 1 (12/2012)

Sign Magnitude Ladder daC SpeCifiCationS

inputS: BnC, CoaxiaL, toSLink, BaLanCed aeS/eBu, MSB pro i2S and a BaLanCed anaLog

input

rCa outputS: 2.62 V rMS (7 Vpp)

rCa output iMpedanCe: 53 ohMS without VoLuMe ControLS, 38 ohMS with VoLuMe ControLS

BaLanCed output: 5.23 V rMS (14 Vpp)

BaLanCed output iMpedanCe: 106 ohMS without VoLuMe ControLS, 76 ohMS with VoLuMe ControLS

VoLuMe ControL (optionaL): Signature: 1/4, 1/2 or 1 dB Stepped attenuator, (78, 156 or 312 StepS)

pLatinuM: 2 dB StepS

SaMpLing frequenCy: 32 khz to 384khz

Bit depth: 32 Bit

ModeLS: pLatinuM

pLuS

and Signature

pLuS

Warning! The DAC IV uses a high current power connector that requires a two step plug in. Push the

connector firmly in about 1/4”, then push harder and it should snap in another 1/8”. When plugged in,

the connector housing extends into the metal back. Check both ends.

DAC IV

Plus

Users Manual

Unique Product - a Preamp or a DAC?

This product has the option to be a unique combination of a very high performance DAC and

the ultimate passive preamp. It is intended to be used as both for the best possible sound in your

system. Our preamp philosophy is based on the belief that from the moment analog audio is

created, every transition that is made degrades the quality. That means that an active preamp with

many stages if perfect would have no effect and any imperfection would result in degradation of

the music. That is why we offer a passive preamp within the DAC IV, to achieve the simplest,

shortest possible signal path, with the least possible degradation of the true music.

The Volume Control Upgrade

The DAC IV has one analog input with the option for a second, and many digital inputs. It is

designed to be the last component in your system before the ampliers. With its incredibly low

impedance, especially for a passive preamp, it can drive long interconnects and handle any type

of amplier input stage design with optimum performance.

Depending on how many analog sources you have in your system, you may be able to eliminate

your current preamp. If you currently have only CD and vinyl in your system, you would attach

your CD players digital output to the DAC IV and the output of your phono preamp to the analog

input. Your system is now complete, with the shortest possible signal path and the best sound

you can achieve. The same idea applies to use with an SACD or Universal player. The MSB

Universal Player provides the highest quality SACD playback via the MSB Network.

If you have a complex system with a preamp with many analog inputs, attach the outputs of your

preamp to the input on the DAC IV. Shift any digital sources over to digital inputs on the DAC

IV and again, you will achieve optimum results. Set your preamp to a volume that matches the

DAC IV output and use nothing but the DAC IV volume control in your system.

The volume control modules can be easily installed or removed by your dealer.

Setup and Quick Start

The front panel is quite simple with few user controls. Input source select

defaults to auto. On power up, the volume is reset to -30 dB. Turn the volume

knob up until you hear music.

Power - The Platinum comes with a range of outboard power supplies. The

supply automatically detects and switches between 240V and 120V. This is not

a switching supply that works at any voltage, but a linear supply with automatic

switching of the transformer leads. Always allow three to ve hours for the

Platinum to warm up and reach thermal equilibrium.

Inputs - The Platinum comes standard with one MSB PRO I2S (CAT6), AES/

EBU balanced, coaxial (RCA and BNC) and optical digital audio inputs, as

well as a balance analog input, ranked in order of performance. Connect any

digital input to any active digital audio source. The frequency and bit depth

of the incoming signal will be read out on the front panel and analog audio

will be found on both balanced and single-ended analog outputs.

Outputs

Connect the balanced or single-ended analog outputs to any amplier and audio

should be present. The output level is controlled with the knob or remote.

Burn-In

The concept of burn-in is little understood. Does it take your ears some time to get used to the

incredibly detailed and life-like sound of an MSB product or is something actually changing?

The feedback we receive leads us to recommend at least 100 hours of burn-in on this DAC.

Customers generally recommend one month.

Warning: Please verify that the DAC IV you just purchased is covered under warranty. This

DAC was sold to the Distributor named on your box label and in the “about” section of your

setup screen. The country and date of manufacture is also specied. If the country and year

do not match your purchase location, your warranty may be invalid. Check with MSB.

DAC IV

Phono

Preamp

CD, DVD-A

Transport

AMPs

Analog

R/L

Digital

DAC IV

SACD Player

AMPs

Digital

DAC IV

Universal Player

with XPORT

Upgrade

AMPs

MSB Network

Analog

R/L

Analog

R/L

Analog

R/L

Analog

R/L

iLInk II Upgrade

This option adds an iPod dock to the cover of the DAC IV. There are no setup options or controls. Plug in the

iPod and press play. In addition, the square remote buttons can be used to control the iPod.

* The stop button actually turns off the

iLink. This releases the DAC input

when auto select is on. Play will turn the

iLink back on but be patient as it takes a

few seconds for the iPod to reconnect.

* Play / Pause starts and stops

playback.

* Forward and Back jump to the next

track in the playlist.

The iLink II will charge the iPod when

plugged in. It works well with all

Generation 6 or later models including

the classic, touch and nano models. It

also seems to work with the iPhone.

You may add this option any time by

swapping the cover.

Here is the complete MSB System, available in Matt White or Satin Black.

The Signature Data CD is a great companion to

the DAC IV. It is shown here with the Signature

Transport Power Base in Satin Black.

Unique Technology - the past and the future

In the 1980’s early DACs were all 16 bit ladder DACs, with a precision laser-trimmed resistor

creating the appropriate analog level for each of the bits. The DACs worked well and sounded

good. They were quite expensive as very accurate resistors were required. Then along came

the “single bit” DACs. Rather than using a resistor to create an analog level, pulse width

modulation was used. Basically each bit was created by turning a switch on and off for the

appropriate length of time. The resulting square wave pattern was ltered to create a smooth

output. The expensive resistors were gone, and so was the good performance. Next came

the Delta Sigma DAC. It used the same pulse width modulation but rather than creating a

single large pulse for each data point, the data point was created with many small pulses. This

allows the pulses to be smoothed with a less radical lter, and improves the sound. As you

can see, upsampling the input signal to a higher frequency reduces the ltering requirements

and thus improves the sound.

The DAC IV draws from the older, superior ladder technology, but with incredible

improvements. The Basic Platinum contains four 24 bit MSB DAC

modules (seen below). The Platinum is fully balanced so there is

a matched pair of 24 bit DAC modules for the inverted and non-

inverted signals on each of the right and left channels. Finally, each

DAC module contains one R2R ladder DAC with a 23 bit negative

sign and one R2R ladder DAC with a 23 bit positive sign. Together

this makes a true 24 bit DAC. This design allows the quieter moments

in your music to be true to the music, without the linearity errors

near zero that plague normal ladder and delta-sigma DAC designs.

With a dual 24 bits of combined resolution, a 24 bit source gives a

true 24 bit resolution without the losses and errors that make your

normal 16 or 24 bit DAC perform far less than their actual resolution

(normal 16 bit DACs only muster a meager 12 bits of resolution).

The DAC IV is carefully designed so as to require no DC correction

in the output stage. This allows direct DC coupling on the output

stage for pure, uncolored sound -- with no output ltering to muck

up your high end or smear your bass attack.

Another major difference in the DAC IV is the type of output.

Essentially all ladder DACs produce a current output. This is

converted to a voltage output with a current-to-voltage converter.

This problematic circuit colors the sound and introduces non-

linearity. The DAC IV is a true voltage DAC with a voltage output

right from the source. All ampliers have slew rates greater than

1000 Volts/microsecond. The output impedance of the DAC IV is

53 ohms. Original Platinum DAC module

Second Generation Platinum DAC module - Smaller but mor bits!

Balanced Out

MSB DAC Module (Non-inverted signal)

23 bit positive sign DAC

23 bit negative sign DAC

23 bit positive sign DAC

23 bit negative sign DAC

Coaxial Out

MSB DAC Module (Inverted signal)

BLoCk diagraM

Right Channel

Toggle Switch

The Dual Signature DACs

produce 25 bits of resolution,

twice the number of steps as

the 24 bit Platinum.

Special Features

The DAC IV has many special features. The following sections discuss these features and how they work. As MSB Technology has

developed, so has our DAC architecture. Our advanced digital lter now replaces the asynchronous upsampling of earlier models. The

32X Digital lter goes way beyond our older 16X lter and 4X upsampling. To play a 32 bit/384 kHz le the Platinum only needs to be

plugged into the MSB Data CD IV player and a DVD with a 32/384 .wav le needs to be played. The new reclocking feature dynamically

buffers and re-clocks all the data and clock signals to provide a virtually jitter-free source directly to the DACs.

010010100011101000110110

how daCS work

A DAC is a circuit that converts

digital measures of audio amplitude

in discrete steps into a continuous analog

electrical equivalent of the sound to be reproduced. The

amplitude is a digital number (like a 16 bit word) and the

steps occur based on the sampling rate (like 48,000 times per

second). This process is very much like an endless conveyer

belt with empty one gallon jugs on it, moving by a lling

station. The size of the jug is xed, the rate they pass by is

determined by the sampling rate. The goal of the DAC is to

ll each jug to exactly the right level specied by the music.

There are three techniques used to accomplish this; Delta

Sigma, Ladder, and the MSB Sign Magnitude Ladder.

Line speed

is like Sampling

Rate (48,000 per

A “one bit” measuring cup is either

full or empty. With 64 times over-

sampling, the cup is only 1/64th

the volume of the jug. This rather

crude cup does not

come close to

being accurate

enough. The cup

would need to be

1/16,777,216th

the volume of the jug

to be accurate.

Each sample or jug is

filled to the right level

with many measuring

cups, poured to reach

the target level.

By keeping a running tally of the error and by going a little over

and a little under in many many samples, a very accurate average is

reached, but only with an aggressive filter applied to the output.

Delta Sigma DaCS (Single Bit)

A ladder DAC is different

in that instead of a single

measuring cup (or bit), a

whole array of cups are

available, from very

small to very large.

Any combination of cups

can be used to fill each jug

to exactly the right level.

filtering is

required but

the accuracy

is defined by

the cumulative

error of all

The MSB Sign Magnitude

Ladder DAC is like a Ladder

DAC but refined in two ways.

Because the jars are

typically 1/2 full when

finished, we start

with very accurately

1/2 filled containers

instead of empty ones.

From there, we again

use the wide range of

measuring cups to either add

or take away from each jar.

Again each jar is filled exactly so no

filtering is needed, but because we only had to add or subtract a little bit

our accuracy is higher. Because our hearing is most sensitive to low level

sound (sound near the 1/2 full zero crossing) our DAC is most accurate

near 1/2 full where we use the smallest and most accurate measuring cups.

mSB Sign magnituDe laDDer DaC

laDDer DaC

the MSB pLatinuM daC

No commercial DAC is available with the level of accuracy

we wanted without ltering, so we produce our own using

discrete logic and resistors in a DAC module. MSB is unique

in this respect. The result is a signal-to-noise rating of up to

140 db and THD+Noise ratings near the theoretical limit of

a 24 bit source.

what aBout Jitter?

Jitter is a variation in the speed of the conveyer belt.

With a Delta Sigma DAC, the quantity of water ending

up in the jug is dramatically affected by the speed

change because the whole cycle is occupied with

the application of many small scoops of water. With

either Ladder DAC method, all the water is placed in

the jug at the same time, and even if the jug is a little

ahead or behind in the conveyer belt, the quantity

is still accurate. That is why we never heard much

about jitter until the rst Delta Sigma DACs arrived

on the scene.

what aBout upSaMpLing?

Synchronous Upsampling like MSB does just means adding more

jars between the existing jars and moving them faster down the line.

By looking at many jars before and after the new empty one, we

calculate how full to make it. The result is smaller steps as shown in

the waveform.

THE DAC STORY

The menu selectable digital lters (from the optional digital lter suite)

permits the user to choose the lter design they prefer. It allows for the

selection of a standard brick-wall lter or a slow roll-off lter, both at half the

sampling frequency. Each provide a distinct, glorious listening experience.

You may favor one or the other, or enjoy changing the lter response to suit

the music you listen to. Music with less high frequencies may benet from

the slow roll-off 16x lter.

To play all kinds of media such as BluRay or SACD, your player needs to

have an MSB Network or XPORT output. If your player does not have the

MSB Network output, it can be added.

Upsampling

Upsampling has been in and out of vogue for many years. Its benet has

been obvious in one DAC and nonexistent in another. Here is a simple

explanation of why MSB feels upsampling is important. Typically the most

processor intensive task in a DAC is the digital ltering. A digital lter

takes a look at a window of the music being played, and because that music

was received from a digital source, there are holes in it, between data bytes.

The lter looks at the shape of the signal in the window and tries to gure

out what the missing data is. The bigger

the window, the better a job it

does, and the bigger processor

is needed.

Well depending on the sample

frequency of the incoming

data, a different digital lter is

run. Each is a little different

and each may not sound the

same. As a result, CDs at 16

bit and 44.1 kHz might sound

better or worse than 24 bit 96

kHz les in a particular DAC.

But generally, the higher

the sampling frequency,

the more processor power

can be applied to look at

a bigger window and the

better job the digital filter

can do. So we recommend

synchronous upsampling,

where the original data points

are preserved, but the spaces

between them are lled in.

Custom MSB Digital Filter

The DAC IV has a custom DSP based Digital lter. The sine x function is

the ideal shape to apply to the audio lter task, but unfortunately to work

perfectly it must sample an innite number of samples. Our 16x lter

contained 3200 taps, a very large sample and worked well. The 32x Filter

contains and amazing 6000 taps, and the increased size of the lter more

closely approximates the ideal lter. Immediately you can hear the increased

clarity of the music.

MSB has applied noise shaping technology, not directly to the audio as

SACD and Delta Sigma DACs do but to the actual digital lter. This novel

approach reduces that digital harshness without loss of detail or focus.

Just as glasses bring an image into focus for eyes that are not perfect, we

have applied a corrective algorithm to the slight imperfections specically

found in our DAC architecture. This new innovation focuses the instruments

more accurately on the soundstage.

upSaMpLing

effeCt

MSB Digital Filter History and Detail

One of our primary goals at MSB is to provide the music

lover with the most accurate musical experience possible.

During years of careful design and improvement of our

custom discrete DACs, which form the heart of your

Platinum DAC, we realized that the Platinums sound

quality was no longer limited by them. We soon narrowed

the problem to the Digital Filter which was feeding our

DACs. While the excellent Burr-Brown (Now owned by

Texas Instruments) DF1704 Digital Filter had served us

well in the past, it had became the bottleneck once we

started using our new Second Generation DAC modules.

After a thorough search of all the available off the shelf

and custom DSP based Digital Filters we realized that

little improvement could be had from any of them. With

no other option in sight we decided to build our own

solution.

Converting the ones and zeros of Digital Audio into

music is an enormously delicate and critical process.

Each individual sample that makes up the audio stream

must be converted into the high resolution, continuous

analog voltage that can be transformed into the sound

that you hear. Any misstep can corrupt the nal result

ending with audio that does not sound anything like the

original recording. Errors in translation can make a harsh,

veiled, muddy, and/or tonally colored result. Minimizing

each potential problem allows the original recording to

shine through.

Audio reproduction starts when the DAC receives the

binary coded information from the source. The rst step

requires recovering the audio samples, which represent

the nal output voltages, and the timing, which tells the

DAC when to output those voltages. Next the sample

rate is raised and the data is digitally ltered. While it is

possible to feed the DAC with the original audio samples

thereby avoiding the use of a digital lter skipping this step

has many unintended consequences. After being digitally

ltered the digital stream is feed to the DAC. The DAC

receives the digital audio samples and converts them into

a continuous analog voltage. Our DACs instantly convert

the data into a precise continuous voltage waveform with

timing determined by the DACs conversion clock.

The digital lter is necessary because mirrored image

frequencies created during the conversion process must

be removed. If the DAC did not have a digital lter, an

analog lter with an aggressive response must remove

these image frequencies. These brick wall analog lters

seriously damage the signal by corrupting the original

phase of the sound and cannot fully remove the high

frequency images. This results in harsh or rolled off high

frequencies and poor soundstage focus.

Traditional digital lter designs consist of cascaded FIR

(Finite Impulse Response) lters, each of which raise

the sample rate by two. The intermediate data between

the lters is usually stored at less than 40 bit resolution.

Since the next lter works with previously computed

data the resolution decreases with each lter pass. This

limits higher quality digital lters to a low oversampling

rate (usually 8x) before the output starts to deteriorate.

The loss in resolution is typically not apparent when

using the best conventional digital lters with standard

DAC chips, but in combination with our high resolution

DACs the problem is very apparent. The sound becomes

muddy, veiled and un-involving when using any off the

shelf digital lter. To counter this problem the MSB Digital

Filter does it’s ltering in one lter stage that raises the

sampling rate by 32.

FIR lters operate by multiplying each sample in the data

by a set of lter coefcients and then summing the result.

Most digital lters round the result of each addition before

Sign waVe (0 dB, 19.95 khz teSt tone

SCope SettingS 2 V/diV, 10 uSeC/diV)

About the Clock / Jitter Control

Jitter control devices (and inputs on most DACs) normally reclock the input

signal in attempt to lessen the jitter of that incoming signal. The DAC IV

does no such re-clocking. We actually pay no attention to the clock on the

input signal. All internal clocks are generated by an extremely accurate plug-

in clock. Since the input clock is no longer related to the clock of the DAC

IV, an intelligent ½ second buffer is used to maintain data synchronization.

A clock header is a part of the DAC IV that will allow even more accurate

clocks to be installed as an upgrade as they become available. Clock jitter

seems to be the single biggest contributor to digital harshness. MSB clocks

are the lowest jitter audio clocks in the world. The DAC IV plus models

are supplied with the Femto 140 Clock with about 140 femtoseconds of

jitter. The Galaxy Femtosecond Clock is a great upgrade and offers about

77 picoseconds of jitter.

Custom Software and Temporary Filters

A custom digital lter will allow you to tailor the sound of your Platinum.

Any form of custom FIR lter may be loaded into the MSB Digital Filter.

You may select a custom lter from our library, you may have MSB design

a lter to your specications or you may send MSB a list of Fir Filter

coefcients that we can format into a CD loadable le for you. You cannot

permanently damage your DAC by loading a Temporary Custom Filter, it is

only active until you power down the Platinum. Contact MSB Technology

for details on custom lters.

Step One, Verify Your Equipment Compatibility - To successfully load your

custom lter you must have your Platinum connected to a transport that

will not change the Data. Almost all older CD players are acceptable,

however there are some important exceptions. Upsampling CD transports

will not work. The Upsampling drives are ne for playing audio after the

upload however. DVD players should work ne when they are congured

in a mode that does not affect the Data such as CD pass-through mode.

The iPod is an excellent way to play this le if you have the iLink upgrade.

the adding next sample. This repeated roundoff results in a

similar problem to the cascaded 2x lter approach, muddy

sound. MSBs digital lter uses bit perfect accumulation in an

80 bit accumulator completely eliminating these debilitating

roundoff errors. Only as the last step do we carefully convert

the audio to the 24 or 26 bits our DACs require. The high

sampling rate of the output allows us to include advanced

ultrasonic dither and noise shaping techniques in this step

to achieve greater than 24 bit effective resolution.

Through extensive listening tests we have found that the

choice of lter coefcients has a great impact on the tone of

the music. We have found that steep, phase perfect “Brick

Wall” lters tend to sound the most neutral but are also the

most difcult to implement without problems. Improvements

we have made in our digital lter, with its single stage design

and 80 bit computation, allow us to use very steep lters

with no compromises.

Custom Filter Options

We recognize that different people often have very different

taste in their music. For those who do not like the standard

choice of lter, or require a different lter response, we

have provided a very easy method for customizing your

MSB Digital Filter. By playing a standard CD containing a

custom lter algorithm you can temporarily change the lter

inside your Digital Filter. This CD lter loading allows you

to load almost any FIR lter quickly and easily. You may

also upgrade your MSB Digital Filter with the latest custom

software just by playing a special Firmware Upgrade CD.

The timing of the DACs conversion clock also has a large

impact on sound quality. Any periodic frequency change

or “jitter” causes a loss of focus in the reproduced audio.

The high power and large memory space of the SHARC

DSP we use allows us to offer a unique Ultra Clock to your

MSB Digital Filter. The Ultra Clock adds two ultra precision,

ultra low jitter TCXO oscillators and custom clock handling

circuitry to your board. This custom circuitry allows us to

do much more than simply reclock the data, as other jitter

reduction boxes do, but completely replace the incoming

clock!

Most jitter reduction schemes rely on Phase Locked

Loops or Asynchronous Sample Rate Converters. The

Phase Locked Loop is able to reduce jitter to a signicant

degree but not eliminate it because the output clock must

be related to the input clock. The Asynchronous Sample

Rate Converter, which completely replaces the data and

clock, seems ideal until you realize that the complex

computation involved harms the data by permanently

imbedding a portion of the clock jitter into the data. Sample

Rate conversion is also detrimental to the sound due to the

complex and sub optimal digital lters involved, which must

change their lter response to track minute changes in the

input to output clock ratio.

The Ultra Clock sidesteps both of these problems by storing

the incoming data in an extremely large buffer (1/2 second

of audio.) The on-board clock then reads out the data

without jitter. The on-board clocks are totally independent

from the input clock so that no jitter is transferred to the

output. True absolute digital silences such as a track skips

are selectively shortened or lengthened by the DSP to

keep the buffer synchronized. This process is carried out

seamlessly by the DSP to assure that all compatible sample

rates have their clocks properly replaced. Compatible

sample rates are 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz,

192 kHz, 352.8 kHz, and 384 kHz. Other sample rates

automatically use the recovered clock from the transport

without user intervention. The large delay caused by the

buffer with 48 kHz sample rate audio from a DVD movie

may cause the audio to be unsynchronized. You can turn

this feature off with the remote.

the feMtoSeCond gaLaxy CLoCk offerS the LoweSt Jitter in the

worLd and iS a great upgrade.

Step Two, Burn the CD - When burning a CD containing the custom lter you must burn the .wav audio le directly to a CD without rst

converting it to another audio format such as MP3. Converting the .wav le to another format will destroy the careful formatting which

allows the DSP to load lters directly from a CD. You may however burn other audio to the CD as separate tracks. This allows you to

create a CD with a custom sound that differs from the rest of your collection. A suggestion is to place a track containing the Custom

Filter on the CD as track 1 and place the Special Filter Cancellation Code as the last track. This will allow a CD to play through with a

custom lter leaving your Platinum in the normal lter mode at the end of the CD. With an iPod, these tracks can be included in a playlist.

Step Three, Play the CD or iPod - To ensure a proper load of the lter you must remember to disable any digital processing before the

Digital Filter. This includes turning off processing in DVD players, Upsampling in CD Players and Upsampling in the Platinum itself.

If the Filter Load Fails because the equipment is not compatible or the track is not played through the MSB Digital Filter the track

containing the Custom Filter will play a short tone followed by a Update Failed message. A successful load will just be a short tone

followed by a ve-second silence.

Step Four, Select the Filter - A custom loaded lter will remain the until the power is cycled. To use the lter, look in the setup menu

for the “temporary” lter and select it.

Loading New Firmware

Loading custom Digital Filter Firmware will permanently change the operation of your DSP. MSB Technology can congure custom

software for your DSP to meet virtually any requirement. Playing a CD track containing the new rmware will erase the current software

in your Digital Filter and replace it with the contents of the update le. This is just as safe as loading a Custom Digital Filter if one

precaution is faithfully observed. The rmware update process takes about 20-30 seconds and you MUST NOT INTERRUPT THE

POWER TO THE PLATINUM while the new rmware is loading. You must wait for the message after the Firmware Update before

interrupting your Platinum’s power. If the power to the Platinum is interrupted during a rmware update you will have to return the

DAC to MSB for reprogramming. MSB will charge you a small fee for this service. If you have accidentally loaded rmware that you

do not wish to have on your Platinum do not try to cancel it while it is loading, simply wait for the update to complete and then load the

rmware you do wish to have on your DAC.

Step One, Verify Your Equipment Compatibility - To successfully load your new rmware you must have your Platinum connected to

a transport that will not change the Data. Almost all older CD players are acceptable, however there are some important exceptions.

Upsampling CD transports will not work. The Upsampling drives are ne for playing audio after the upload however. DVD players

should work ne when they are congured in a mode that does not affect the Data such as CD pass-through mode. The iPod is an

excellent way to play this le if you have the iLink II upgrade.

Step Two, Burn the CD - When burning a CD containing the new rmware you must burn the .wav audio le directly to a CD without

rst converting it to another audio format such as MP3. Converting the .wav le to another format will destroy the careful formatting

which allows the DSP to load lters directly from a CD. With an iPod, these tracks can be included in a playlist.

Step Three, Play the CD - To ensure a proper load of the rmware you must remember to disable any digital processing before the Digital

Filter. This includes turning off any processing in DVD players, Upsampling in CD players and Upsampling in the Platinum itself. If

the Filter Load Fails (the equipment is not compatible or the track is not played trough the MSB Digital Filter) the track containing the

new rmware will play an introduction and a short tone followed by a Firmware Update Failed message. With a successful load the

tone will just be followed by a 5 to 15 second silence followed by music. The new rmware is loaded but not running at this point, you

need to press any button or change any menu to activate the change.

Step Four, Enjoy Your New Features - Custom Firmware permanently changes the software running on your DSP. This change occurs

immediately following a rmware update. A rmware update will not change the names of your menus, but may change the function

they perform. If you are not happy with your new rmware simply load your old rmware using the instructions above.

Rear Panel Analog Details - (left to right)

Right Analog Single-Ended RCA Output – This is the primary single ended RCA analog output. For optimum performance, select

single-ended mode from menu. This uses both DACs to gain an extra bit of resolution, but disables the Balanced Outputs. The output

impedance is 38 ohms with volume control and 53 ohms without, and output level is 7 Volts PP (2.62 V RMS).

Right Analog Single-Ended RCA Alternate Output – This is the alternative single-ended RCA analog output. When the DAC is set in the

single-ended mode, this output is exactly the same as the primary output. When the DAC is in the Balanced mode, this output becomes an

inverted version of the RCA output. When the DAC is in the multichannel mode, this output becomes the extra channel output. When the

optional Second Analog Input upgrade is installed, this becomes a single-ended analog input. As an input, this line should be terminated

or connected to a source as it is directly connected to the output when the DAC power is turned off.

Right Analog Balanced XLR Output – This is the balanced XLR analog output. The DAC should be set for balanced mode when using this

output. When set to single ended, the differential output will be equal and you will hear nothing. When the DAC is set to multichannel

mode, the primary channel will be heard on the non-inverted output pin and the alternate channel on the inverted output pin. The output

impedance is 106 ohms with volume control and 76 ohms without, and output level is 14 Volts PP (5.24 V RMS).

Right Analog Balanced XLR Input – This is the balanced analog input. This input is passed to the output with no change unless a volume

option is installed. The non-inverted and inverted inputs are also passed to the single-ended and alternate outputs, respectively, regardless

of the mode setting. When the volume control is installed, this input can be either volume controlled or not, depending on the menu

settings. This input is ideal for adding a vinyl input to your system. Minimum input impedance is 2 kohms. For an RCA input, use an

RCA to XLR conversion connector. At 0 dB volume setting, the analog inputs are a direct pass-through.

Left Analog Connections – Same as right above.

Aux One and Two – A second balanced analog input can be installed here, instead of the single-ended option. It can use or bypass the

volume control independently of the rst analog input.

How to Hook Up a Subwoofer

Main AMP Balanced – Set the DAC for a balanced output and attach main amp normally. Use the single-ended output for subwoofer.

(Preferred Conguration)

Main AMP Single-ended – Set the DAC for a single-ended output and attach main amp normally. Use the alternate single-ended output

to connect to the subwoofer.

Rear Panel Digital Details - (right to left)

Power Input – This product must be plugged into a DAC IV Platinum or Signature Power Base with both analog and digital supplies. It

will not work with any previous MSB power supplies such as the P1000. The Diamond Power Base also makes an excellent upgrade.

RS-232 – The RS-232 optional input is used for controlling the DAC or volume control using a remote system.

Toslink – Although this format has the lowest bandwidth, it is one of the more common outputs on low-end products. It also offers ground

isolation between products and noise immunity over long runs. It is unlikely to work at sample rates over 192 kHz.

Coaxial – A good input for short runs and lower frequencies. Limited to 384 kHz, 24 bit data.

In a case where

three single-ended

outputs are desired,

a cable can be made

to extract a single-

ended output from a

balanced output.

Now two single-

ended outputs are

available, even

when the DAC is set

to the single-ended

mode.

Male XLR (output)

Output Cable Power Base Connection Diagram

Single-Ended Analog Input Cable

Connector Details

A single-ended analog input can be made

out of the balanced input.

MSB PRO I2S Connector

BNC – Same as Coaxial but with a BNC connector.

Another digital input.

Balanced digital – The AES/EBU Professional

input is the preferred input. The balanced nature of

this input allows great cable lengths as well as total

noise immunity. Limited to 384 kHz, 24 bit data.

MSB PRO I2S – The MSB PRO I2S uses CAT-6

cabling. It provides an input for use with other

MSB products. It can handle 8 channels of data

up to 384 kHz and 32 bits. The DAC IV can select

which audio channels to decode. This interface

also outputs the clock to keep the transport in sync.

Aux 1 and 2 – These are all purpose expansion slots. They can be congured as a USB input, MSB PRO I2S Input, MSB Network or extra

XLR or RCA digital inputs. It can also become a second analog input. They will also accommodate anything new that comes along.

Clock Interface

After years of experimenting with inputting and outputting clocks we now strongly recommend not doing this. A low jitter clock must be

physically close to the DACs. There is no lower jitter clock than the MSB clocks, and even if there were, once the clock was transmitted

from an external box so much jitter would be introduced in the cable that the clock would be marginal at best. So we are condent that

no benet would be gained from an external clock.

A different set of problems exist with outputting clocks. A paradox is created as a source needs a clock to transmit data, but when

the DAC sees the data, which can be at any sample rate, it adjusts the clock to match. No source can handle its clock adjusted on the

y. Only the MSB Transports can handle this as the PRO I2S interface is smart and negotiates the proper clock to be sent back to the

transport. But, if you do have a need to access this clock, it can be done.

Within the MSB Network connection is a clock interface that allows multiple Platinum products to be synchronized, allows the Plati-

num Clock to be input or output. The interface is a LVDS format clock interface with a signal level of 250 mV pp.

Pin Identication - The pins shown in the gure below are identied as follows:

1. M Clock + (Positive side of balanced Master Clock)

2. M Clock - (Negative side of balanced Master Clock)

Clock Frequencies - The clock can be selected to be either an input, output or turned off in the setup menu. The output frequencies are

as follows:

· 44.1, 88.2 or 176.4 kHz sampling frequency source outputs or inputs a clock frequency of 22.5792 MHz

· 48, 96 or 192 kHz sampling frequency source outputs or inputs a clock frequency of 24.576 MHz.

The MSB PRO I2S Network

One of the most powerful features of MSB products is the PRO I2S network. Most

new MSB products have a PRO I2S connection available. The MSB PRO I2S has the

following capability:

• Works with standard CAT6 cable

• Simultaneous transmission of 8 audio channels with 32 bit resolution at 384 kHz

sampling rate.

• MSB CAN Interbox communication Bus (for communications between

boxes)

• Low Jitter master clock distribution from the DAC back to the Transport.

This network is our answer to 384 kHz audio transmission and multichannel transmission

in the same package. We provide network

outputs on our own transports and offer

a source upgrade to your transport as

well. With multichannel sources, up to

8 channels of decoded data can be

sent through one wire to separate

DACs. CAT6 wire is very convenient

as it has become the standard for

all computer networks. Several

cables are available for connecting

MSB transports to the Platinum Line

including CAT6 cable at any length

up to 80 feet.

Front Panel Controls

Although the user interface is very simple and easy to use, in depth menus allow complete control of the DAC.

Menu Button – The square button is single purpose. It will enter the setup mode at the top of the menu tree. If in the setup,

and it doesn’t matter where, this button will exit the setup and return to the normal operational mode.

Input Selection – Each of the six inputs can be selected manually, or the auto mode can be selected. The auto mode is an

automatic priority switching with auto signal detection. The right and left arrows switch inputs. If the AUTO input is selected, the unit

will automatically switch inputs based on a priority (from left to right - Analog = lowest priority, MSB 2 = highest priority). When a

source with a higher priority becomes active, the unit will automatically switch to the new higher priority input.

Toggling through the inputs manually will defeat any auto switching. When in the setup menu the arrows move

right and left through the menu structure.

User Select Button - The star button is user dened. In the default conguration, it does phase invert. In

the setup menu it can be changed to turn upsampling or reclocking On/Off, or to select the

digital lter, upsampler algorithm.

Input/Volume Knob - The large knob will select between inputs if the volume control option is

not installed. The right and left arrow buttons on the front of the unit will also switch between inputs.

When the volume control module is installed, the knob becomes the volume control. This knob adjusts

the volume between +9 dB and -69 dB. Our 0 dB actually equates to a 2.62 V rms output, just a little

high in relation to the industry standard 2 Vrms level.

Display - The display shows the Input in the upper left. The lower left shows the input sample rate and

bit depth. The right shows the volume.

Remote

The MSB remote can be used to operate several MSB products. The top half is primary for the transport.

The center is for the DAC and the lower part for the iLink.

Power – The power button turns on and off the Power Base when the optional front controls have been installed. If

your Platinum Power Base does not have a switch on the front, this button will do nothing. When the power base

is linked to the Ampliers and any other MSB products, this button will turn off the entire system. (see power base

manual for details)

Data CD IV controls – . The keypad, stop and repeat buttons are for the DATA CD IV transport and have no effect

on the DAC IV.

Volume up and down – The center block of the remote has several functions. The volume up and down buttons

change the system remote if the optional volume controls are installed in the DAC. Steps sizes are shown on the

DAC display. The mute button instantly mutes the audio if the volume option is installed.

< > = * and # buttons – These central buttons are also for controlling the DATA CD IV transport, but also can be

used for navigation of the DAC IV menus. See MENU below.

Input – This button toggles directly through the inputs of the DAC IV even if the DAC is set to the auto mode.

Menu – This is equivalent to pressing the menu button on the front panel and puts the DAC IV into the menu/setup

mode. The menus can navigated from the front panel or using the < >, volume up/down buttons on the remote

as left, right, up and down.

1, 2, 3 – These are user dened buttons. They can be programmed in the setup menu to execute any function you

wish from the following options.

Phase Invert - Toggles phase invert on and off.

Upsampling - Toggles Upsampling on and off.

Reclocking - Toggles reclocking on and off. This is especially useful for watching movies, where

reclocking may cause an objectionable audio delay.

Digital Filter Select - Toggles through the installed digital lters.

Upsampler Select - Toggles through the installed upsamplers.

iLink Controls – Provides basic iPod controls when this option is installed.

Batteries – The remote control requires two CR2025 Lithium batteries.

Menu Upsampling

Phase Invert

Filter Select

Upsampler

Select

About

Setup

Displays the DACs information. Including

serial number, distributor, year of

manufacture, and installed features.

F1-32x Filter

F2-16x Filter

F3-Lanczos 3

F4-Minimum

Phase

Temporary

Off

U1 - Upsampler 1

U2 - Upsampler 2

U3 - Upsampler 3

See page to for setup options

DAC IV Menu Tree

Top level menus are for

operational controls. Setup

menus follow on the next

pages.

Press the menu button on

either the front panel or

remote.

Navigate up and down the

options with the front panel

knob or the volume up down

buttons on the remote.

Use the arrow buttons to

navigate right and left in the

menus on either the front

panel or remote.

Use the * button on the front

panel or the > button on the

remote to select.

The default settings are

shown on the chart in bold

type.

GO TO NEXT PAGE

Dac Level

Display

Brightness

S.E./

Balanced

Startup

Volume

Input Setup

Display On/

Off

Reclocking

Restore

Settings

Dither

Setup

Analog

Ground

Set User

button

Set Remote 1

Phase Invert

Upsampling

Reclocking

Digital Filter

Upsampler Select

Phase Invert

Upsampling

Reclocking

Digital Filter

Upsampler Select

Off

Balanced

Single-Ended

Connected

Lifted

1-15 (Default 3)

Auto off

Off –Test Mode

-9dB

-6dB

-3dB

0dB

+3dB Test Mode

Restore?

Cancel

-68dB to 0dB

(Default -30dB)

Continue to input setup on

Set Remote 2

Set Remote 3

Maximum

Volume No Limit to -30dB

Fine Volume

Steps Standard

0.5dB Steps

0.25dB Steps

RS232 On

Off

Operational Menu Options

The high level menu options have to do with operation settings. They are things that you may want to change on the y as you listen to

different music or with different equipment. See the Menu tree for details.

Upsampling on/off - Upsamples all incoming music to either 384 kHz or 352.8 kHz.

Phase Invert - Toggling the Phase Invert will change the absolute phase of the output. There are some recordings that “accidentally”

swap the phase. For those who are phase sensitive, we always include this option. The phase of the outputs is inverted digitally.

Filter Select - This feature lets you select among a number of preloaded lters. There is not right or wrong lter as the best lter depends

on the original recording and the rest of the components in your system. We are always working to develop new and better lters to

compliment different system characteristics.

Upsampler Select - Upsampling algorithms may also be selected from among the preloaded options.

User Button - Denes the function associated with the user button * on the front panel.

Remote User Buttons - Denes the function associated with the remote user button 1, 2 and 3 on the remote control.

About - Displays information about the unit including the version number, serial number, distributor, and year of manufacture.

Setup Menu Options

The second level menu options have to do with setup parameter - things you will only need to set once. In most cases you will not need

to change any of these settings. See the Menu tree for details.

Reclocking - This very important feature of the DAC allow all jitter to be removed from the input source. Data is read into a memory

and then independently read out using a ultra stable clock. When enabled this option will completely replace the incoming clock with

an ultra low jitter TCXO based clock. The DSP monitors the incoming sample frequency and detects standard sample rate signals,

44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz, 352.8 kHz and 384 kHz. The on-board clock then completely replaces the

incoming clock. Other sampling frequencies use the incoming clock from the source. The DSP allocates a huge internal FIFO buffer

(1/2 second at 44.1) that stores the incoming audio to decouple the incoming and outgoing data streams. Long absolute digital silences

in the music stream, such as between tracks and during pauses, are selectively shortened or lengthened by the DSP to maintain data

synchronization. This results in a signicant delay between the audio source and the analog audio. You will not normally notice this

delay unless video is synchronized to the audio. For this reason this feature may want to be turned off when watching video, or the

video should be delayed. While using the on-board clock some very long musical performances greater than one hour with no silences,

pauses or track skips may cause a buffer overow when using a standard transport. This will sound like a small CD skip. You will

probably never encounter this case but if you do MSB can install a special ultra high accuracy clock in your transport or other audio

source to totally eliminate this possibility.

Single-ended Mode - This setting optimizes the DAC for single-ended RCA outputs rather than balanced XLR output. In the single-ended

mode, both the non-inverted and inverted DAC are summed to make the very highest quality single-ended output, at the expense of

the balanced output which is then disabled. In the balanced mode, both outputs work, but the single-ended output is simply the non-

inverted output from the balanced output.

DAC Output - This unique feature adjusts the output of the DAC digitally. It is especially useful when no volume control is installed,

for optimally matching the DAC output to a preamp input. Many preamps sound much better with a lower level signal. With MSB

volume modules installed this setting should be left at 0 db.

Output Single-Ended Balanced

+3 dB 3.57 Vrms 7.14 Vrms This setting for measurement purposes only

0 dB 2.62 Vrms 5.23 Vrms

-3 dB 1.79 Vrms 3.57 Vrms

-6 dB 1.27 Vrms 2.53 Vrms

-9 dB 0.98 Vrms 1.97 Vrms

Display Brightness - Adjustable from 1 to 15.

Display on/off - When turned off, the display pops on for a bit any time anything is adjusted, then turns off again.

Dither on/off - With the dither activated the MSB Digital Filter continuously adds a tiny amount (-110 db) of random ultrasonic dither to

the Output. We have found through extensive listening tests that this tiny amount of dither greatly increases the perceived resolution of

the audio without harming the music in any way. The dither is added separately in common mode to the positive and negative DACs

in the Platinum and mostly cancels itself on playback helping to linearize the DACs. The dither is generated by a highly random, non-

repeating white noise generator and is then digitally ltered to remove all dither content close to the audio band. All of the dither between

0 Hz and 40 kHz is removed. Unlike some noise shaping algorithms like DSD the very low level of the ultrasonic dither involved should

never cause system high frequency related problems. MSB highly recommends that you keep the dither enabled. Dither can be turned

off when using our incredibly precise DAC for making measurements.

Restore Settings - Puts settings back to factory default setting.

Startup Volume - This is the volume setting that is set upon power up.

Maximum Volume - This is the maximum volume setting that can be reached. Use this feature to protect your speakers.

Fine Volume Steps - The basic DAC IV volume module has 2 db steps and this feature is not available. With the Signature and Diamond

volume modules, this feature allow half or quarter db steps to be inserted between the standard 1 db steps. In most cases this level of

resolution is not audible.

Input Setups

Analog Input Volume Control - The analog input can either be volume controlled or bypass the volume control.

Alternate Analog Input Volume Control - The alternate analog input can either be volume controlled or bypass the volume control if this

option is installed.

Switching Mode - When the input selector is manually selected, either all inputs are available or just active inputs. With active inputs

selected, A/B testing is very quick and easy.

MSB Network Channel Select - The MSB Network supports 4 stereo channels of audio. With this feature the DAC can be congured to

decode any of the 4 sets.

Upgrades and Modifications

Removal of the cover - Unplug the AC power. Work on a clean surface.

Start by removing the 14 screws of the cover. Carefully remove and set aside

the cover.

Removal or Installation of the volume modules - The volume modules

can be plugged in, or unplugged from the Platinum mother board. They

are held in place with their two connectors. The boards are automatically

detected, so when unplugged the DAC will output the same level signal as it

would with them plugged in at 0 dB. The volume knob will now select the

input and the remote volume buttons will have no effect.

Install the Signature DAC Upgrade - This upgrade provides hand

matched DAC modules for superior sound quality. These DACs can run at

twice the speed (384 kHz sampling rate) with 1/2 the settling time. The noise

level is cut to 1/3 the normal value and the signal-to-noise ratio is up to 145

db. They are user installable and come as a matched set of four, replacing the

existing DACs. Remove the clamp holding the DAC modules in. Pull each

module straight out without tipping or twisting. Align the new module with

the pins and push rmly back in. Take care that each connector is aligned.

Do one DAC module at a time.

iLink II Upgrade - Remove the cover. Plug ribbon cable in “Aux 3”.

Install new cover.

Galaxy Femtosecond Clock Upgrade - Remove the cover. Plug the clock in the clock upgrade header. Install the clock mounting screw located

in the cover of the clock box. Re-Install the cover.

Other Upgrades - Check the instructions supplied with the upgrade.

USB Upgrades

The USB upgrades are common enough to include

here rather than make a separate manual. For more

detailed and up-to-date information check our web

site. All three levels of USB input work basically the

same, with the difference being the maximum sample

rate they can receive.

Apple MAC OS

On the MAC the USB is plug and play. The MAC will

recognize the USB DAC and its capabilities and will

allow the output to be set to any sample rate desired.

The bad news is, with certain programs such as iTunes,

the output sample rate has to be set manually when

the le sample rate changes. So if you set the output

for 192 kHz, and played a 192 kHz le, it would

play perfectly, but if you then played a 44.1 kHz CD,

the MAC OS would upsample that le to 192 kHz.

Computer upsampling is not too bad, but does not

compare at all with the quality of the upsampling done

by MSB. Better to change the output to 44.1 kHz and

play the le bit-perfect. Fortunately there is an APP

called BIT PERFECT. Download it and the MAC with

the MSB USB 2 is perfection itself.

The Apple Audio MIDI Setup screen is shown above. Notice that the presence of the MSB USB Signature DAC has allowed 352.8 and

384 kHz sample rates to show up on the menu. Normally they are not present. iTunes will play at whatever sample rate you select in

this setup.

Windows OS

The amazing thing about the MSB USB 2 input with Windows is that once you get it set up it works completely and absolutely perfectly,

with every le playing bit-perfect at its native sample rate up to 384 kHz with no user intervention. Just pick the song and play. The

rest is automatic and works perfectly. This is a rst for any Windows machine I have seen and a dream come true. The bad is that MSB

drivers will have to be installed, and your music must be played with a properly set up player program like Foobar. Its a small price to

pay for perfection, and MSB will help walk you through the process.

First, install the supplied MSB drivers from the included USB 2 drivers CD or

from our website (not necessary for USB 1 operation). So with a PC, there are two

possible play modes. The “advanced speaker properties” window lets you set up

Windows output sample rates up to 192 k as shown to the right. Any audio played

by an audio program would be output at this sample rate. Specialty programs like

Foobar can be modied with a plug-in, like ASIO (http://www.foobar2000.org/

components/view/foo_out_asio) which allows Foobar to interact directly with the

MSB DAC to play every music le at its native sample rate bit-perfect. Foobar

over-rides all windows settings and is quite amazing.

Word Sync Upgrade

The DAC IV has a word sync option. First, a little bit about it. Word-sync is

typically a master clock (in studios it’s known as the house clock) used in a

system to keep everything synchronous. For playback systems, this isn’t all that

important thus it’s very rare for someone to use in a home system. However it is

important in studios as the output of the ADC convert needs to be synchronous

to the digital inputs of the rest of the devices, such as computers. If it is not, they

will have buffer overrun/underrun errors and data corruption.

When word-sync is used, they will run a standard digital signal (most common

AES/EBU, but it could also be coaxial, etc…) along with a separate cable (typically

BNC) that is the clock in word-sync format. Devices with a word-sync input look

at both the data and the clock and run the entire device off the recovered word-

sync clock. If a word-sync master clock is used, the entire system must run off of

it. The word-sync clock is sample-rate dependent.

The DAC IV has the option of word-sync. We strongly recommend people not using it. Even if the word-sync clock source was perfect

with 0 jitter, the act of converting it to the word-sync frequency, transmitting it, recovering it, and generating the correct frequency has

100 times the jitter of the standard clocks in our DAC. In order to use the word-sync option in our DAC, you must have the word-sync

option that goes in the Aux 1 or Aux 2 slot.

One tricky thing we did is we tied the word-sync option to a specic input. In most cases when word sync is present, it will be there

for one source to the DAC but the rest of the sources won’t be running off the house clock. In the menu, you will nd the option “Word

Sync.” When you enter this menu option, you will nd a list of input names (coaxial, toslink, balanced, BNC). These are the inputs that

can be used with the word sync source. Only one input can be used with the word-sync option.

For example, let’s say you have a transport with a word-sync input and you connect it to the DAC via the Balanced Digital input. You

will need to connect both the transport and the DAC with the same word-sync signal (unless the transport is the word-sync source).

Once this is done, you will go into the DAC menu and under word sync, select balanced. When the DAC switches to the balanced input,

it will automatically enable the word-sync input. When you switch away from the balanced, it will turn the word-sync off. You can tell

word-sync is working on the DAC as it will display “word sync” on the display when enabled.

Even though a server might have an excellent clock, it’s getting that clock from the server to the DAC without adding jitter that’s the

problem. It would sound better to have the DAC do it’s reclocking with the local clocks instead of running off a recovered word-sync

clock from another box run over a cable.

PRO input Upgrade

This exciting upgrade adds one or two additional MSB inputs in the AUX IN positions of the DAC IV. It is a exible board so please be

careful to check the instructions carefully when installing. First of all, make sure your rmware has been upgraded to

the latest level. Check the MSB web site for details. The upgrade offers two possible inputs:

Input #1 - Ground Isolated MSB Network

This is an improved version of the classic MSB

Network. It will work with all existing MSB

Network outputs on all current and older

products. This input is designed specially

as the best possible input for the MSB

Universal Media Transport. It has the

performance of the stock MSB Network

without the coupling of ground noise.

With this input both our transports

can have optimal inputs. It will work

with the following:

• Data CD IV

• Universal Media Transport

• All older MSB products

Input #2 - MSB PRO I2S

The MSB PRO I2S is new and will offer amazing performance on new transports as they are brought to market. (See the table) It is lower

jitter and higher speed (ready for 768 kHz music) than the MSB Network. It contains 20 channels of audio of 768 kHz, 32 bit audio in

the I2S format, as well as a an outgoing clock and control data. These can be used to send multichannel data as would be required with

digital crossovers, distribute independent super precision clocks and do auto setup of DAC parameters. Future upgrades and products

will allow MSB products to take full advantage of these new capabilities. There is an PRO I2S output on our Studio 384 kHz, 32 bit ADC

and this output will become the standard output on all new agship MSB transports. So this input works with:

• MSB Pro Analog-to-digital Converter

• Signature Data CD

• Universal Media Transport PLUS and Signature Universal Media Transport, and all new products to come

The MSB PRO Input board upgrade not only gives you the improved MSB Network input you can use today, but also gives you a PRO

I2S input that will be available for new MSB products in the future. The PRO upgrade can easily be congured for either type input.

Operation

These new inputs are added to the existing input LIST on the DAC and are selected just like the standard inputs. Please note that the MSB

Network and the PRO I2S are independent. Network sources will only work with Network inputs, and PRO I2S sources will only work

with PRO I2S inputs. So for today, the PRO board is congured for use with the MSB Network. As PRO I2S sources are developed by

MSB, you will have an input to make use of them.

Installation

The Pro Input board plugs right in the input upgrade slot in the DAC IV. The Network connector installs in one of the AUX input holes.

Unfortunately it is too big to t in the older Diamond DAC IV without modifying the large heat sink. This job will need to be done by

your dealer or by MSB.

Quality Check

Each Platinum is comprehensively tested

and the actual outputs measured. Just

a few comments on the example plot

shown. The single spike is the test tone

played at -60 db. A properly working

DAC will produce a peak at -60. Most

measurement systems cannot measure

as low a level as -145 db. That is the

noise oor of our production test system

which means the Platinum may measure

better, but we cannot see it. The rise at

low frequencies is always present on our

test setup and the right channel always

shows a little more noise than the left

(the right cable runs closer to the digital

input cable).

Using the DAC IV to test your

source

The DAC IV is unique in that gives you a precise read out of both the sample frequency and bit depth of the incoming signal as well as

performing a test for bit perfect playback. If you are playing a CD, a copy of a CD or a ripped CD le on your computer the display should

read 44.1 kHz, 16 bit. Any other output means you are not reading the le bit-perfect and your sound quality will be compromised. This

corruption could be accidental. You may have ripped a CD with a program that does a conversion. This is very bad and you should not

do this. You may have an upsampling transport or have upsampled with software upsampling in your computer. This is also very bad.

Nobody can do as well as we can if we are given the bit perfect original. Turn off the feature and give us the real thing. You will not be

disappointed. For more detailed testing of your source, please refer to the BIT PERFECT SOURCE TESTING section of this manual.

MSB provides test les that the DAC is programmed to recognize and check for bit perfect playback.

Bit-Perfect Source Testing

Perhaps one of the most useful features of the software is the bit-perfect test. The following series of les can be downloaded from the

MSB web site:

16 bit x 44.1 kHz sample rate le (CD standard). 24 bit x 44.1 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 48 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 48 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 88.2 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 88.2 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 96 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 96 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 176.4 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 176.4 kHz sample rate le.

16 bit x 192 kHz sample rate le. 24 bit x 192 kHz sample rate le.

They are .wav test les that when played, will be identied by the DAC IV and checked, and will be reported on the display if they are

bit-perfect. If there is a problem with the test, it will play but the display will not indicate any change. Be sure upsampling is turned off in

any transport as this prevents a le from remaining bit-perfect. This system will allow you to easily test your source, especially computer

sources to see if all your settings are correct. There are les at all sample rates for both 16 bit and 24 bit operation. The 16 bit 44.1 test

le can be burned to a CD to test transports.

Troubleshooting

No Input Frequency indicated on Display (reads “No Signal”) - This means no input is detected. Check input select. Change to auto mode to be

sure. Check for bad cable, or cable plugged into the wrong output on the transport.

No Input Bit Depth indicated on Display (reads “0 bits”) - This means an input is detected but the music is not playing. Check the source to be sure

it is playing.

No sound but Display indicates frequency and bit depth - Check that power cable is plugged in all the way. You may have digital power but no

analog power. Check that source is valid audio source. Change to a standard CD just to be sure. Check that analog outputs are connected properly.

Check that volume is turned up. If using Balanced output, check Single-End or Balanced menu setting. Balanced output will be silent if set to Single-

Ended mode.

Still no sound - connect an analog output from the source directly to the preamp input. Verify that the rest of the system is working. Now move the

same analog cable to the DAC and plug in the analog source to the analog inputs. Verify the DAC pass-through is working. Now plug in a digital

source. You should hear a click and the front display should indicate frequency.

You hear audio clipping (with outboard preamp) - the output level may be too high for your preamp. Check the input specications on your preamp.

(See Platinum specs). If you do not have the volume option, go to the DAC LEVEL setup menu and reduce the DAC output to -9 dB. This reduced

level should solve the problem.

Frequency readout is off - The Platinum shows the actual input frequency as well as the upsampled frequency. Check your source settings.

High sample rate source indicates 48 kHz on front panel - Check setup menu of source. Many products downmix to 48 k.

DVD-A source does not indicates 192 k - DVD-A players must be upgraded to provide a true 192K output. Production players downmix to 48K.

Many DVD-A disks are produced in 44.1, 48 and 96 k as well.

DC on output when power is off - If the second Analog input option has been installed, the output is connected to the 2nd input when the power is

turned off. Terminate the input when not used to avoid an open input to the AMP.

USB input not working right - Our USB1 input is limited to 48K 24 bit sources. Check your many computer settings. Our USB2 is limited to 192K

and our USB2 Signature is limited to 384K. Check your computer settings. This is much harder than you would think. With many operating systems

you may need to make small changes to the instructions. As ALWAYS with everything computer - Restart. Power off the computer and DAC and start

over if anything is acting strange. Second thing is to change your USB cable. Audiophile USB cables rarely work at high sample rates. Try a cheap

printer cable.

PRO Input is not working - Make sure you are not mixing a PRO I2S input and a MSB Network input. They are not compatible and will not work.

Make sure you have the latest rmware.

Analog Input not selectable - This input defaults OFF. Go into the menus and turn on the Analog Input.

Warranty

All MSB products carry a one year warranty in the country of origin although extended warranties are offered in many countries. No returns accepted

without an RMA. All units must be returned to the distributor in the country of origin. The DAC displays the distributor in the “about” tab of the menu.

The power base has the distributor and country printed on the box. MSB will not make warranty repairs on grey market products. Be sure the product

you purchased is authorized to be in your country. Upon receipt, MSB will repair or replace any defective product. All product shipped FOB Aptos.

Shipping and shipping damage is the responsibility of the consignee.

MSB Technology DAC IV plus User manual

Brand: MSB Technology

Model: DAC IV plus

Category: Musical Equipment

Type: User manual

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MSB Technology DAC IV plus User manual

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MSB Technology DAC IV plus User manual

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